Dubbo blaze

In New South Wales, lightning has sparked a number of fires, including one at Dubbo that briefly threatened homes.

An emergency warning was sent to residents last night, warning of the grassfire burning between the city's western outskirts and the airport.

The fire was quickly brought under control.

A fire at Bigga, south-east of Cowra, has broken containment lines and also briefly threatened homes late yesterday.

Brendan Doyle from the Rural Fire Service (RFS) says it has burnt more than 1,700 hectares but is now in steep, remote country away from homes.

"[It's] still out of control, we're hopeful that with the assistance of some heavy plant such as bulldozers and the assistance of aircraft in the morning, we'll be able to get some containment today," he said.

A fire near Coonabarabran that has destroyed more than 50 homes is still not contained, but the RFS says it is not spreading significantly.